Suchismita Ghosh
Nine Network’s ‘Married at First Sight’ follows a social experimental approach of pairing strangers with each other to test their compatibility. In season 5 of the Australian reality television series, the return groom from season 4, business owner John Robertson, decided to try his luck once again along with the journalist Melissa Walsh. The pair seemed mature and drama-free from the get-go and looked like a match made in heaven.
The couple, who were fan favorites from the start, were quite keen on wanting to see their relationship through the experiment and hoped for a more permanent future together. However, while it has been quite some time since the season aired in 2018, fans have been left wondering whether John and Melissa, one of the most popular and loved pair on the show, are still together.
Melissa and John Were a Highly Compatible Match on The Show
The then 55-year-old John, based in Alton, Melbourne, who was coming fresh off a heartbreak after separating from his MAFS bride Debbie, hoped luck and love both would favor him the second time. When he got introduced to Mornington Peninsula-based Melissa, then 53 years old, there was an instant connection between the pair. The father of two was smitten by his bride-to-be after seeing her at the altar. They wanted to take things slow, to get to know each other better, and to be sure. Unlike their younger counterparts, John and Melissa, a mother of three and grandmother to two, wanted to start as friends first.
The pair were so sure of each other that within no time, they had the children meet each other. However, despite having an extremely strong connection, both Melissa and John were wary of the 1.5-hour distance being a massive hindrance to their blooming romance. At the dinner party, the couple discussed how they’d handle the distance, with Melissa frankly asking him about whether he’d consider moving to be closer to her.
However, having lived his entire life in Alton, John preferred brushing over the topic, unsure of a solid answer, leaving Melissa doubtful. Despite having doubts about holding onto a long-distance relationship, the pair agreed to give their experimental social marriage a shot. In their final commitment ceremony, the middle-aged couple, despite being practical about the challenges ahead, were quite optimistic about their future together.
Both Melissa and John Have Found Love With Others
Though Melissa and John choose to go with each other, the long-distance issue eventually caught up. Despite being one of the three couples from their season to get married out of genuine affection for one another, they decided to go their separate ways. The former couple in a joint statement released on March 2018 on social media, announced their amicable split shortly after the cameras stopped rolling.
Their statement read, “It has been a very difficult decision, and it makes us both very sad to say we have decided to no longer continue as a couple. We still have the utmost respect for each other but have found significant differences in our lives and expectations in relationships.” The news left their ardent fans, who were rooting for them, heartbroken. While Melissa and John continue being on friendly terms, they have happily moved on in their lives. Around two months after their split, Melissa found a romance with Fred Whitson, an artist. They made their relationship official on social media within no time. In December 2018, the gorgeous beauty got engaged, and it seemed like Melissa had found “the one.”
Their plans of marriage in June 2019 were kept on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the couple sadly separated in December 2020 after three years together. In 2019 Melissa was left bereaved after the passing of her father on May 4th. Sometime after her split from Fred, she found love with Michael Dial. Sharing the news on her social media in June 2022, the writer and book coach thanked him for walking into her life during a time of extreme vulnerability. The couple continues to go strong and moved in together in December 2023. Melissa, who is quite active on social media, is often seen sharing loved-up images of the pair, along with glimpses of her life with friends and family.
Michael also found romance with screenwriter Kenicha Hatten. The pair became acquainted in 2018 at an event in Sydney. She had actively shown support for John on her social media during his unsuccessful tryst with romance in season four. John shared with Daily Mail Australia, “Kenicha tells me she had liked me for a while and, she did reach out to me. Luckily, I replied, she’s a truly lovely lady.” The pair continue to go strong. John continues to be a doting father to his two daughters, one of whom recently got married in November 2023. However, he has kept away from social media and despite having a presence, remains inactive.
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